Balconies: Keep Clear!

A sobering addition to the website unfortunately, following a recent fire on the balcony of a property on Bramah Road.

It’s thought that the presence of combustible materials on the balcony was a factor in this fire, which had to be put out by the fire brigade. It’s not clear how the fire started, but one potential cause is the magnification of sunlight through a glass table on the balcony onto cushions, which became hotter and hotter, before catching fire. It may sound farfetched, but this actually happens.

Although the flames didn’t breach the fire barriers constructed in the walls of the properties themselves (they are designed and constructed to prevent this from happening), no one was harmed, and residents are very much allowed to have tables and chairs on their balconies, this fire demonstrates how the build-up of flammable materials on balconies can contribute to fires spreading and it’s worth considering the above scenario when it comes to the layout and materials of any furniture on yours.

With this in mind, Area Manager, Alexandra Agudelo, fills us in below on some very hands on support she and her team provided to a vulnerable resident:

Daniela and I recently conducted balcony inspections in Mostyn and Bramah Roads. During our rounds, we frequently see an elderly resident who visits the centre almost every day—she's practically part of our family!

On this occasion, we noticed that she had stored a number of items on her balcony. Her plan was to ship some of the belongings back to Ghana and dispose of the remainder. When we contacted her daughter, we learned that she couldn’t help due to being pregnant, and living outside London.

We sprang into action. Customer Services Officer, Papa, arranged for a shipping company to collect the items destined for Ghana, and then he reached out to Contract Manager, Andra, for help with the rest. As usual, she responded immediately, meeting with Papa that morning to clear out the rubbish for our bulk team to collect.

This tremendous joint effort from both teams is a great example of our work under our Vulnerable Support Project. The transformation—from a potential fire risk to a fire-compliant space—speaks for itself.